Watchcase.



U ITED STATES Fatente'd August 18, 1903;;

PATENT OFFICE.

ARISTIDE BILAT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATCHCAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 736,574, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed September 29, 1902. Serial No. 125,839. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARISTIDE BILAT, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in IVatchcases, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to watchcases, and has for its object to provide a novel form of hinge for the back or bezel, or both, which is invisible when the case is closed and which is simple and durable.

In carrying out my invention I provide the case-center, of whatever construction, with a recess in its edge or exposed outer face which is of a size to receive an ear connected with the back or bezel. A suitable hinge -pin mounted in the case-center passes through the lug or car and operates as a hinge therefor. The shape of the lug or earis such that its exposed face conforms exactly to the exposed face of the ease-center when the back or bezel is closed, whereby the outer surface of the lug forms part of the bounding surface of the edge of the case. \Vith this construction there are no projecting parts whatever at the hinge, and after the watchcase is completed it is practically impossible to detect the presence of the hinge when the case is closed. I may,

if desired, hinge both the back and bezel upon the same hinge-pin, thus making only one invisible hinge for both of these parts.

In the drawings, Figure l is an edge view of my improved case, showing the invisible hinge. Fig. 2 is a section on the line a: 00, Fig. 1, showing the back and bezel closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the back and bezel open. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a modification hereinafter referred to. Fig. 6 is a section through one side of the case-center and Fig. 7 is a section through the bezel on the line 3 y, Fig. 1.

The case-center 3 and the back 4L and bezel 5 may be of any suitable or usual construction. The outer or exposed face of the casecenter is provided with a slot or recess 6, which extends transversely across the case-center on the outside thereof, and where the hinge is to be used solely for either the back or bezel the said back or bezel will have a lug or car 7 secured thereto which is of a size to exactly fit the recess 6. Supported in the case-center is a suitable hinge-pin S, which extends across the recess 6 and which passes through the ear 7. In order to render the hinge practically invisible when the back or bezel is closed, I make said ear of such a shape that when the back or bezel is closed the outer exposed face of the ear will conform exactly with the contour of the outer face of the case-center, as shown best in Fig. 2. lVith this construction the exposed portions of the ears form part of the bounding surface 3 of the case-center and no projecting portions appear at the hinge. The meeting surfaces between the sides of the ear and the sides of the recess come to the surface of the case-center and form lines 10; but after the case is finished and polished these lines are not discernible with the naked eye. I will prefer to hinge both the back and bezel upon the same hinge-pin, as shown in Figs. 1 and at; but my invention would not be departed from if independent hinges were used for each of these parts. In said figures the recess 6 is made Wide enough to receive both the ears 7 on the bezel and two ears 7 on the back, the two cars 7 being spaced apart sufficiently to receive between them the ears 7 The hinge-pin S is mounted in the case-center, as above described, and passes through both the ears 7" and 7", as seen in Figs. 1 and 4. Both of the ears on the back and the bezel are shaped to have a shape corresponding to the contour of the edge of the case-center, so that when the back and bezel are closed the hinge is practically invisible.

I may mount the hinge-pin directly in the case-center, as shown in Fig. 4:, or, if preferred, the same may be mounted in blocks 12, which are soldered or otherwise secured to the casecenter, which has first been filed or ground off on the line 13 to make a surface for said blocks. In case the blocks 12 are employed they will of course have an exterior contour corresponding exactly to that of the edge of the case-center, so that after the case-center is polished the line of union between the blocks and case-center becomes invisible. I will preferably also provide suitable means to limit the opening movement of the back or bezel. This may conveniently be done by providing each of the ears 7 a or 7 with project'ions or stops 14L, which when the back or bezel is open engage the case-center, as shown in Fig. 3, and limit the opening movement of the former.

It will be observed that with the construction above described the hinge-pin is situated in a plane midwaybetween the back and bezel.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a watchcase, a case-center having a recess in its exposed face, a back or bezel having an ear to fit said recess and a hinge-pin supported in the case-center and on which said ear is pivoted, the outer face of said car being exposed when the back or bezel is closed and having a contour conforming both circumferentially and transversely of the casecenter to the contour of the exposed face of said casecenter.

2. In a watchcase, a back and a bezel each having an car, a case-center having a recess in its exposed face of a size to receive both of said ears, and a hinge-pin supported by the case-center and on which said ears are hinged, the outer face of both of said ears being exposed when the back and bezel are closed and having a contour conforming to that of the exposed face of the case-center both circumferentially and transversely.

In a watchcase, a case-center having a recess in its outer face, a back or bezel having an ear to fit said recess, a hinge-pin supported in the case and on which said ear is hinged, the outer face of the car being exposed when the back or bezel is closed and having a contour conforming both circumferentially and transversely to that of the outer face of the case-center and a projection extending from said ear and serving as a stop to limit the opening movement of the back or bezel.

4. In a watchcase, a case-center'having an open slot formed transversely across that portion thereof which is exposed, a back or bezel having a lateral lug which is received in said recess, and means to hinge the back or bezel to the case-center, the outer face of said lug being exposed when the back or bezel is closed and having a contour conforming to that of the outer face of the case-center, both circumferentially and transversely.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARISTIDE BILAT.

lVitnesses:

Louis 0. SMITH, GEO. W. GREGORY. 

